Method of and apparatus for treating sewage.



P. F. BROWN.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SEWAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ. I918 1,28%878 Patented Dec. 31, 1916.

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APPLICATIO FILED MAY 2, 191B.

Patented Dec. 81, 1918.

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PETER. FRANCIS BROWN, OF HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SEWAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Deefill, 1918.

Application filed May 2, 191a. senai No. 232,022.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, Penna F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Huntington, L. I., in the county of Suflolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Treating Sewage, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sewage treating apparatus, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved method of treating sewage so as to more quickly settle the solids therein and thereby cause immediate bacterial action and to so handle the sewage as to entirely eliminate. the discharge of bad odors therefrom, as well as to treat the sewage discharge into the apparatus employed in a manner that will purify the liquid discharged from said apparatus to the extent of ninety per cent. objectof the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for carrying the method into eifect; and a still further object is to provide means whereby the flow of the sewage may be reversed through the apparatus for the purpose of distributing the collection of the solids equally throughout the series of tanks employed in the apparatus.

The invention described and claimed here in is an'improvement on what isknownas the Imhofl' sewage treating system, as described and claimed in U. S. Patent No. 924,664 granted to Karl Imhofi, June 15, 1909, and is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawingsform a part, in which the separate parts of my improvementare designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which l Figure 1 is a plan view of niy improved apparatus with part of the construction broken away tion;

Fig. 2 a partialsection on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a partial section on the line3-3' of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 a perspective view of a trough which I employ.

In the practice of my invention, I employ a treatmenttank 10 which is of rectangular formand preferably composed of concrete, and comprises end walls 11 and 12 or more; and a further and with part shown in' sec and side walls 13 and 14, the end walls 11 and 12 being connected by intermediate walls 15 and 16 which divide the tank into three longitudinally arranged chambers 17 18 and 19, each of which is divided transversely by walls 20, 21, 22 and 23 thus forming a plurality of compartments 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, in each of the chambers 17, 18 and 19.

The top portion of the end walls 11 and, 12 are recessed to form transverse ports or passages 29 and 30, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the compartments 24 to 28 inclusive are connected with each other and with the end walls 11 and 12 adjacent to the top portion thereof by longitudinal walls 31, the tops of which are flanged as shown at 32, and the bottom portions of from the side walls 13 .and 14 and intermediate walls 15 and 16 as shown at 34 to form passage-ways 35. The walls 20 to 23 inclusiveare cut out centrally thereof and adjacent to the top portions thereof as shown at 36, and these cut-out portions form a communication between the separate compartments 24 to 28 inclusive.

The bottom of the chambers 17, 18 and 19, or the separate compartments 24 to 28 inclusive therein, are each central upwardly directed beveled rib 37 forming oppositely arranged concavo-convex pits 38 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and the walls 31 divide the compartments 24 to 28 inclusive into bottom storage chambers 39, upper and oppositely arranged chambers or passage-ways 40, and centrally and between the walls 31 are gas vents 41 common in apparatus of this class. The gas vents 41 extend the full length of the chambers 17, 18 and 19.and are only interrupted by the top portions 42 of the Walls 20 to 23 inclusive.

The end walls 11 and 12 are provided with apertures 43 which communicate with the chambers or passage-ways 40, and the ports or passages 29 and 30 as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Thegas vents 41 communicate with the ports or passages 29 and 30 through apertures 44 at the opposite ends thereof, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing.

The port or passage 29 is provided at the opposite ends thereof with intake pipes 45 and 46 which pass through the side walls 13 provided with a 30 charged therefrom may and 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and by means of which the sewage from any source is discharged into my improved apparatus, or the port or passage 29 at one end thereof, 6 and the port or passage 30 at the other end of the apparatus are rovided with exhaust or discharge pipes 4 and 48 which pass throughthe side walls 13 and'14 and the Intake and exhaust ports are controlled by suitable gate devices 49, while the apertures 44 between the gas vents and the ports or passages 29 and 30 are controlled by gate constructions 50, while the communication 43 between the chambers or passage-ways 40 and the ports or passages 29 and 30 are controlled by ate constructions 51 as clearly shown in Fig, 1 of the drawing.

p In Fig. 1 of the drawing I have shown a pipe 52 connected with a four-way coupling 53 with which the pipe 47 is conne'cted, and the pipe 52 communicates with a siprage tank 54, and a pipe 55'provided wit the pipe 48. and the coupling 53, and an outlet pipe 57 provided with a valve device 58 1s also connected with the coupling 53. With this arrangement of pipes regardless of the flow of the sewage through my improved apparatus or tank 10, the liquid disbe either stored in the sewage tank, or discharged through the pipe 57 as hereinafter described.

Mounted over and longitudinallyof each of the chambers 17, 18, and 19 are water pipes 59 which may receive their supply of water from the storage tank 54 as indicated in dotted lines at 60, or be supplied in any other desired manner, pipes at spaced intervals or directly over the central portion of the separate compartments 24 to 28 inclusive are dependingpipes 61' having valves 62, and connected with the lower end of said pipes are jet tubes63, the

open ends of which'are directed with the. flow or in the direction of the flow of sewage through said compartments as clearly indicated in Figs. 2' and 3 of the drawing. The jet tubes are so located and designed to be used to break up thesolids in the sewage, if at any time the same should collect or tend to retard the flow at the top of the separate compartments, and said jet tubes may also be used to break up the solids and increase the velocity of the flow through the separate compartments in order to equalize the settlement of the solids in the various compartments.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improved apparatus will be .60" readily understood when taken in connection with the'accompanying drawing and the following statement thereof. 'Presuming that the sewage is admitted through the intake pipe 45, the same will passinto the gas vent 65 41 through the aperture 44 as indicated by a valve device 56 is connected withpassage 30 as indicated by v and is discharged from said port or passage and connected with said sages 29 and. 30

7, trough devices 65 such as shown thearrow as, the apertures 43 entering into the compartment 24 of the chamber 19 being closed by the gate construction 51 and said sewage passes through said vent and over the separate compartments 24, 25, 26, 27and 7'0 28 as well as downwardly into each of the said compartments as indicated by the arrows 02 in Fig. 2, and said sewage passes up wardly through the passage-ways 35 as i11- dicated by thearrows x of Fig. 2 and ou'twardly through the apertures 43 communicating with the port or passage 30 at the opposite end of the tankas indicated by the arrows 50' in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The sewage then passes through said, port or 80. passage and into the gas vent 41 in the chamber 18 as indicated by the arrow a over the separate compartments 28, 27, 26, 25 and 24 in said chamber, and downwardly into said compartments as indicated by the arrows a;" in Fig 2, upwardly through the passageways 35 as indicated by the arrows at" in Fig. 2, and outwardly through the apertures 43 communicating with the port or passage-29 at the end of the tank as indicated by the arrows m through said port or passage, into the gas vent 41 in the chamber 17 as indicated by the arrow at? over the compartments 24 to 28 inclusive, and downwardly thereinto in the direction of the arrows an and out 5 through the apertures 43 into the port or the arrows a through the pipe 47 from which it may pass through the pipe 52 to the storage tank 54, or may pass out through the pipe 57 as de sired. 1

In the foregoing operation the various apertures 43 and 44 communicating with the ports or passages 29 and 30 are open or closed by the gate constructions 50 and 51, as indicated in- Fig. 1, and the ports or pasare partitioned off by gate constructions 64 also indicated in said figure, and the gate constructions 49 to the pipes 46 and 48 are closed, but'in reversing the flow of sewage, through the tank or treating apparatus. by admitting the sewage through 'the pipe 46 anddischarging it through the pipe 48,,all of said gate constructions that 1 are closed as shown in Fig. 1 willbe opened and the open gate constructions closed.

If at any time the-collectiomof the solids in the first two or three compartments 24, 25 and 26 becomes too great I may introduce in Fig. 4, one of which isindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, said devices comprising a channel body :66, the top of which is provided with oppositely directed flanges 67, which are adapted to rest on the top of the walls 31 and the. channel body opens upwardly or is closed at .the',-bottom as shown at 68, and the bottom '68 is extended at the opposite.

ends thereof asshown at 69, one of these exfact'thab' the liquids discharged from thetensions being adapted to rest in the bottom of the port or passage 29 as indicated in Fig. 3. It will be understoodthat any desired munber of these may be employed for the purpose of discharging the sewage into either of the compartments 241, 25, 26 or 27 or shutting off the discharge into such compartments.

ith my improved method ofv introducing the sewage into and through a series of chambers, each of which is divided transversely into a plurality of compartments, and passing said sewage downwardly through each of said compartments in said chambers as above described and indicated bv action'or method of'handling the sewage. the solids are caused to drop into the'bottom of the separate compartments. as the sewage passes thereover, by reason of the downward flow through said compartments. as indicated by the arrows 00 and m in Fig. 2, the settling of the solids takes place immediately, and by reason of the construction of the bottoms of the separate compartments as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the flow has a tendency toconstantly keep the solids collected at the bottom thereof in action, or turns the same as indicated by the arrows 11: in Fig. 2, thus releasing the gases therefrom and preventing the collection or pocketing of such gases. With the construction of the walls 31 as shown at 33 the gas escaping from the solids may freely pass upwardly around said portions 33 and be discharged through the gas vents 41 as indicated by the arrows m, while the water and light or broken up solids in the sewage passes into the chambers or passage-ways 40 as indicated by the arrows :0 and m in Fig. 2, and this operation continues until the sewage is passed th rough all of the conipartments in the chambers 19, 18 and 17, and when the same is discharged through the pipe 47, all of the solids, including the light or broken up matter will have been separated from the liquid of the sewage and by reason of the treatment of such solids, such discharged liquid when tested has been.

found to be ninety per cent. or more pure.

As above stated with my improved method,

they solids settle in the various compartments immediately upon the entrance thereinto, or

thereover, and the bacterial 1 action takes place immediately and it is by reason of this tank or apparatus through the pipe 47, as aboveset out, tests ninety per cent. pure. Further by'reason of the action of the'flow of sewage downwardly into and through the various compartments and as indicated by the arrows a' in Fig. 2, or by constantly keeping the solids collected in the compart ments in action the gases are discharged therefrom in minute form and most 0t such the arrows .r to .1 inclusive. in which [rected downwardly into of said compartments to p in minute form, directing the sewage from said compartments. np-

- a plurality of gases are taken up by the water, and in this way the odor arising from tanks or apparatus of this class under consideration is eliminated.

After the solids have collected to a great extent in the various compartments the same may be removed in the usual manner and discharged into a settling or storage tank where it may be sterilized in the usual manner, but the apparatus for accomplishing this result is' old and wellknown and for thls reason has not been shown nor described in this application.

While I have shown a tank or apparatus divided longitudinally into three chambers, each of which is sub-divided transversely into five compartments, it will be understood that my invention is not limited to this arrangement of chambers and compartments nor to the number of the same, and various changes in nd modifications of the details of construction herein shown and described may be made, within the scope of the apspirit of my invention, or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let: ters Patent, is

1. The process of treating sewage topuri it which consists in passing the same throng a plurality of treatment compartments, introducing the flow of said sewage into the top central portion of one of the end compartments, the flow of said sewage being dithe central bottom portion of each cause the quick settling of the solids, dividing the downward flow of sewage to give action to the collected solids and to break up the same and discharge the gases therefrom wardly at the opposite sides of each of the compartments and discharging said sewage at the opposite sides of the other end compartment.

2. The process of treating sewage to p it which consists'in passing the same throng chambers each of which is divided into a plurality of treatmentcompartments, introducing the flow of sewage into the central top portion of a treatment compartment at one end of each of said chambers, the flow of sewage being directed downwardly into the central bottom portion. of each of the compartments in said chambers to cause the quick settling of the 'solids dividing the downward flow of sewage iIltO ea h of saidcompartments to give action to the collected solids therein to break up thesame and discharge the gases therefrom in minute form, directin the di charge of the sewage from sai compartments upwardly atthe opposite sides of each discharge of d ways, means for I a tank having an elongated chamber divided 5 3, In an apparatus of the class described,

a tank having an elongated chamber divided transversely into a plurality of treatment compartments each of which is divided into a bottom storage chamber, central gas vents and top chambers or passageways, means for placing the gas vents in all of said compartments in communication, means for placing the storage chambers in communication with the top chambers or passageintroducing the sewage through the gas vents in one of the end compartments, and means for discharging said sewage through the chambers or passageways'of the other end compartment,

4. In an apparatus of the class described,

transversely into a plurality of treatment compartments, each of which is divided into a bottom storage chamber, central gas vents and top chambers or passageways, means for placing the gas vents in all of said compartments in communication, means for placing the storage chambers in communication with the top chambers or passageways,means for introducing the sewage through the gas vent in one of the end compartments, means for discharging said sewage through the chambers or passageways of the other end compartment, the flow of the sewage into and. over each of said compartments being directed downwardly, and means for dividing said downward flow in each compartment.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank, having an elongated chamber divided transversely into a plurality of treatment compartments, each of which is divided into a bottom storage chamber, central gas vents and top chambers or passageways, means for placing the gas vents in all of said compartments in communication, means for placing the storage chamber in communication with the top chambers or passageways, means for introducing the sewage through the gas vent in one of the end compartments, means for discharging said sewage through the chambers or passageways of the other end compartment, the flow of the sewage into andover each of said compartments being directed downwardly, means for dividing said downward flow in each compartment, and means for breaking up the solids in the top portion of the gas vent in each compartment.

11 an apparatus of the class described, a tank having an elongated chamber divided transversely compartments, each of which is divided into a bottom storage chamber, central gas vents 5 and top chambers or passageways, means opposite end of said tank.

age from the chambers or into a plurality of treatment for placing the gas vents in all of said compartments in communication, means for placing the storage chamber in communication with the top chambers or passageways, means -for introducing the sewage through the gas vent in one of the end compartments, means for discharging said sewage through the chambers or passageways of the other end compartment, the flow of the sewage into and over each of said compartments being directed downwardly, means for dividing said downward flow in each compartment, and means for passing the flow of sewage over one of the end compartments.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, each divided transversely into a plurality of compartments, the end walls of said tank being provided with ports or passages, eachof the compartments in said chambers being divided into'a bottom storage chamber at the top of which is a central gas vent and two top chambers or passage-Ways, means for placing the storage chambers and chambers or passage-ways in each compartment in communlcation, means for placing the gas vent of each compartment in communication, means for introducing the flow of sewage into the port or passage at one end of the tank, means for passing said sewage into a compartment at one end of one of said chambers, and means for discharging said sewage from the chambers or passageways in the compartment at the other end of said chamber into the port or passage at the 8. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers being divided transversely into a plurality of compartments, the end walls of said tank being provided with ports or passages, each of the compartments in said chambers being divided into a bottom storage chamber at the top'of which is a central gas vent and two top chambers or passage-ways, means for placing the storage chambers and chamof said chambers being bers or passage-ways in each compartment in communication, means for placing the gas vent of each compartment in communicav tion, means for introducing the flow of sewage into the port or passage at one end of the tank, means for passing said sewage into a compartment at one end of one of said chambers, means for discharging said sewpassage-ways m the compartment at the other end of said chamber into the port or passage at the opposite end of said tank, means for passing said sewage through said last named port or passage into the gas vent in a compartment at one end of another of said chambers, and means for discharging said sewage from the chambers or. passage-ways in the compart- 60 means for discharging said sewage from the r the port or passage at the a tank divided lon of compartments,

' partment in troducing the fiow of sewage into the port 7 ment at the other end of said last named chamber into the first named port or passage.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers being divided transversely into a plurality of compartments, the end walls of said tank being provided with ports or passages, each of the compartments in said chambers being divided into a bottom storage chamber at the top of which is a central gas vent and two top chambers or passage-ways, means for placing the storage chambers and chambers or I passage-ways in each compartment in communication, means for placing the gas vents of the compartments in counication, means for introducing the How of sewage into the port or passage at one end of the tank, means for passing said sewage into a compartment at one end of one of said chambers, means for discharging said sewage from the chambers or passage-ways in the compartment at the other end of said chamber into the port or passage at the opposite end of said tank, means for passing said sewage through said last named port or passage into the gas vent in a compartment at one end of another of said chambers, means for discharging said sewage from the chambers or passage-ways in the'cgmpartment atthe other endof said-last named chamber into the first named port or passage, means for passing the sewage from the first-named port or passage into the gas vent of a compartment at one end of a third chamber, means for discharging it through the chambers or passage-ways in a compartment at the end of said last named chamber into the second named port or passage, and means for discharging the sewage from said port or passage.

10. In an apparatus of the class described,

rality of chambers, each being divided transversely into a plurality being provided with ports or passages, each of the compartments in said chambers being provided with a bottomstorage chamber, a top central gas vent, and two top chambers or. passage-ways, means for placmg the storage chambers and chambers or passage-ways in each compartment in communication, means for placing the gas ventof each comcommunication, means for inor passage at one end of the tank, means for passing said sewage into a compartment at one end of one of said chambers, and

chambers'or assage-ways in the .compart ment at the ot er end of said chambers into opposite end of said tank, and means for breaking up the communication, means 'tudinally into a plu of said, chambers the end walls of saidta'nk compartments in said chambers being provided with a bottom storage chamber. a top central gas vent. and two top chambers or passage-ways. means for forming a communication between the storage chamber and said chambers or passage-ways. apertures formed in the partition walls of said for placing the gas vents in for introducing the sewage from the intake port or passage at one end of the tank into the gas vent of the compartment at the corresponding end of one of said chambers, and means for discharging said sewage from the chambers or passage-ways in the compartment at the other end of said chambers into the discompartment-s charge port or passage at the opposite end- I of the' tank.

12.- In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided longitudinally into a plurality ,of chambers, each of said ,chambers being divided transversely into a plurality of compartments, one end wall of said tank being provided with an intake port or passage and the other end wall with a discharge port or passage, pipes communicating with both of said ports or passages, compartments in said chambers being divided into a bottom storage chamber at the top of which is a central gas vent and two top chambers or passage-ways, means for forming a communication between the storage chamber and said chambers or passageways, apertures formed in the partition walls of said compartments for placing the gas vents in communication, apertures for placing the gas vents in the end compartment of each chamber in communication with the intake and discharge ports or passages and other apertures for placing the chambers or passage-ways in t partments of said chamber in communication with the intake and discharge ports or passages. i

13. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided -longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers beingdivided transversely into 'a plurality of compartments, one end wall of said tank being provided with an intake port or pas-- each of the he end comvided into a bottom storage chamber at the top of which is a central gas vent and two top chambers or passage-ways, means for forming a communication between the storage chamber and said chambers or passageways, apertures formed in the partition walls of said compartments for placing the gas vents in communication, apertures for -placing the gas vents in the end compartthe flow of sewage through all of said aper tures.

14. In an apparatus, of the class described, a'tank divided longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, each of said chambers being divided transversely into' a plurality of compartments, one end wall of said tank being provided with an intake port or passage and the other end wall with a discharge port or passage, pipes communicating with both of said ports or passages, each of the compartments in said chambers being for placing the gas Vents in the Lea ers divided into a bottom storage chamber at the top of which is a central gas vent and two top chambers or passagesways, means for forming a communication between the storage chamber and said chambers or passage-ways, apertures formed in the partition walls of said compartments for placing the gas vents in communication, apertures end compartment of each chamber in communication with the intake anddischarge ports or passages and other apertures'for placing the chambers or passage-ways i'n the end compartments of said chamber in communication with the intake and discharge ports or passages, gate devices for controlling the flow of sewage through all of said apertures, and gate devices for sub-dividing the intake and discharge ports or passages. v V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 29th day of April, 1918.

PETER FRANCIS BROWN.

Witnesses:

R. W. Downs, DOUGLASS OONKLIN. 

